On Techno for Children & Dogs, Kid Reno showcases innovative production and über-creative sampling work.
Reviewed by Ash
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Before reading this review, please support Kid Reno by streaming or purchasing the album. I’ve provided links to the album on Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.
IF YOU'VE SPENT ANY significant length of time hanging out on the eighth floor of the Education Building, or attended any Collegium Seminar meeting this semester, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Kid Reno. With skills in everything ranging from Max MSP to film soundtracking and live DJing, Reno is a multidimensional artist who pushes the boundaries that define the limitations of the role of the producer. He has a large portfolio of work across Soundcloud, Bandcamp, and streaming services, and frequently performs live DJ sets both solo and alongside fellow MTech student Sunil Prabhu, known in musical circles as Dog Collar. Suffice it to say, Reno’s skill set is vast, his involvement with the MTech community is deep, and his music reflects that diversity and depth as well.
With all this in mind, I found myself very excited to learn that Reno’s latest LP, Techno for Children & Dogs, had been released on Soundcloud at the tail end of September this year. I admittedly did not get around to listening to the full LP until it appeared on Spotify earlier this week. What I got was everything I’d expected from a Kid Reno project and more: twelve tracks, totaling 33 minutes of runtime, showcasing insanely creative sampling, head-spinning production, meticulously-crafted sound selection, all culminating in a tightly focused, frenetic package that seems purpose-built for DJ clubs and dance floors. When listening to these tracks, the mental image of flashing nightclub lights and crazy Max MSP visuals is remarkably easy to conjure. The performance aspect of Kid Reno’s music permeates every fiber of this LP—not to say that the music can’t be enjoyed on its own merits, of course, because the songs themselves are excellent in their own right. At the end of the day, the sheer creativity that went into crafting Techno for Children & Dogs is plainly evident in every breakbeat, every chopped sample, and every piece of synthesis, resulting in one of my favorite projects released by an MTech student in recent memory.
We begin with “SINGULARITY 84_4”, which opens the album with a menacing vocal sample mangled just beyond the point of intelligibility. The trippy vocal chops and pulsating synth arpeggios create a dark, not-quite-but-almost-’80s cyberpunk vibe. After the track builds for a couple minutes, we are rewarded with pounding breakbeats and rumbling, reverb-heavy kick drums that open the album with quite the fireworks show. It is clear from the get-go that Reno wants us to headbang, and I found the frenetic energy that infused this track to be quite infectious. On first listening, I came out of “SINGULARITY 84_4” very much looking forward to what the rest of the LP would bring.
Given how electric and frantic the opening track was, I was definitely a little surprised by the second track, “REDEYEBROWS135”. Reno crafts an elaborate soundscape composed of ethereal synth bells over a tight, rounded synth bass and a drum groove that calls back to ‘90s house and dance music, making this track somewhat more chill (but no less danceable) than its predecessor. The track’s aquatic, echoing middle section employs wubby kicks and heavy delays & reverb that make excellent use of the entire stereo field. Listening to this track with headphones on for the first time was a truly otherworldly experience, though it was also one that I hope will be eclipsed by the experience of seeing this performed live for the first time. In my own experience, it’s generally a somewhat rare occasion when I fall utterly in love with a track on first listen, but “REDEYEBROWS135” was the exception for me, and it’s cemented its place as one of my favorites on the whole LP. The laid-back, underwater dance vibe of this track is immaculate, and I expect to see it in regular rotation on my Spotify from here on out.
The aptly-named “two violins named gabriel 85” returns to banger territory. The track is based around a sample of strings, chopped and processed in various ways that make them almost unrecognizable. Reno employs filters and envelopes along with a ton of really creative sampling trickery over a relentless, chugging drum groove. The track becomes decidedly demented by its end, and the segue into “DDS” comes at a perfect time, just before the music becomes overwhelming. “DDS” itself sees smooth, sliding pad chords mixed with crunchy drums and strange panning sound effects to create a simple, yet constantly shifting groove. Acoustic drum samples are integrated seamlessly with distorted hits and mangled percussion, once again showing Reno’s penchant for selecting just the right sounds for every vibe. This is the first track on the album that really left me wanting more; at just two minutes and seven seconds, my only complaint is that I wish the track was longer.
“LUCY” is another shorter track, based upon a mournful piano riff and a vocal sample that is variously reversed, pitched, and time-stretched. There is no headbanging to be found here; instead, “LUCY” makes for a fleeting moment of meditativeness in a record otherwise thoroughly devoted to the pursuit of dance and insane sounds. However, Reno doesn’t break away from the dance floor for long, as “ZENITH148” really showcases Reno’s innate feel for programming drums. A powerful voice declares “my name is Zenith” over a breakneck groove of syncopated drums. The percussion work here is truly outstanding and places this track among my favorites on the record. The groove never feels static, the rhythm is pounding and relentless, and there is no shortage of ear candy upon which the listener can fixate. The good times don’t stop there, though, as next, we get “TVSTATIC131”. Drill percussion rhythms over a synth steel pan riff that sounds like it could have stepped right out of the Mario Kart soundtrack combined with trippy sampled vocal harmonies and crunchy static samples repurposed into drums make for a truly inspired one minute and nine seconds of music. If there ever was a track that deserved to be longer, it’s this one.
“BUBBLEBOUNCE169” is another aptly-named track, incorporating popping bubble noises in pursuit of creating one of the record’s craziest drum grooves. This is another track best heard through headphones, as the insane synth chops and panning arpeggios make for a spatially trippy listening experience. The following track, “SP33D”, showcases Reno’s mastery of filters, which he uses to great effect during the track’s long slow burn opening. Heavy kicks go along with chaotic, yet controlled percussion and killer synth riffs to create one of my favorite tracks on the album. The vibes here are dark and frenetic, and Reno’s production and mixing work keeps the track consistently entertaining. There’s truly never a dull moment on this record, and “SP33D” showcases that characteristic particularly well.
If you thought the rest of the album was danceable, just wait until you hit the tenth track, “ORWHERE135”, which employs a shifting, filtered sample and a pseudo-Miami bass drum pattern to create a track that feels especially well-suited for the dance floor. Clanging, metallic percussion collides with 808-style claps to give this one a somewhat charming, if slightly off-kilter retro vibe, like the track just stepped out of an alternate reality, demented version of a ‘90s dance club. In contrast, “YOU CAN’T KILL THEM ALL_145” shows off Reno’s total command of the intricacies of sampling, as he converts what sounds like a 1950s barbershop quartet into a pounding banger with heavy trap 808s and ticking percussion. Reno even lets us follow along, first playing us the unaltered sample before slowly taking us through the process of chopping it up into the pattern that lays the foundation for the rest of the track. It was truly entertaining to be able to follow along and observe the sample being manipulated on my first listen, and I think it added a lot to my enjoyment of the track.
For the purposes of this review, I also checked out the currently Soundcloud-exclusive bonus track, “JERSEYBIRDS”. This track is an interesting one, being based around eerie manipulated bird samples with creative delays and filters. Trippy, chopped almost-drums give the track a definite sense of movement. Atonal and almost entirely rhythmic, this track is a relatively chill, yet unsettling oasis amongst the rest of the songs on the record. If nothing else, the calls of the birds speak to Reno’s skill in sampling and sample manipulation.
The final track, “CHAOS”, sees a sampled narration discussing the nature of heaven and hell over spacey synth pads. The track almost fooled me into thinking Reno was going to close out the album on a mellow and understated note, but soon enough, the crashing St. Anger snares and pounding drum groove proved me utterly wrong. The record goes out the same way it came in—with a bang.
Suffice it to say that Techno for Children & Dogs is one hell of an experience. It’s a unique body of work that carves itself a distinct niche not just amongst MTech students, but in the greater landscape of DIY electronic music as a whole. Its innovative production techniques and creative sampling result in a thoroughly entertaining album experience in which Kid Reno harnesses a veritable galaxy of different sounds, energies, and vibes to create something truly remarkable. I have almost no complaints with this album outside of a couple of tracks (looking at you, “DDS” and “TVSTATIC131”) that I wish were extended out a couple minutes longer. Nonetheless, Reno crafts an impressive variety of distinct vibes, moods, and aesthetics that come together to create an amazingly cohesive body of work that will undoubtedly fuel many dance floors to come. Techno for Children & Dogs is ultimately a masterclass in sampling, audio manipulation, and production insanity that I feel I can learn a lot from as a musician. I eagerly await the many dark and demented places Kid Reno will take us to on his next project, though I have a feeling I’ll be content to enjoy this one for quite a while.
Personal enjoyment score: 9 out of 10
Standout tracks: “REDEYEBROWS135”, “DDS”, “ZENITH148”, “TVSTATIC131”, “SP33D”, “YOU CAN’T KILL THEM ALL_145”
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Just another friendly reminder to support Kid Reno by purchasing or streaming the album! I’ve provided links to the album on Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Music, and Bandcamp. Additional thanks to Alex Ehasz for providing photos for this article. Please check out their photography on their Instagram page @square_enigma.
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